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Goh Yi Han
ST Intern
Sounds of solid gold
April 22, 2009 Wednesday, 10:30 AM
Goh Yi Han sits through some great, and not so great, performances.
IT'S THAT time of year again - the 2009 Singapore Youth Festival is in full swing, with the majority of inter-school arts competitions to take place over the next few months. The secondary school and junior college choral competition segment, held every two years in April and May, is perhaps one of the few opportunities you will get to see the following: 1) All manner of weird and wonderful costumes worn on teenage bodies and arranged in neat rows on stage. These included some rather curious and inadvertently humorous choices such as bright fuschia sashes (on the girls) and Chinese restaurant waiter suits (on the boys); 2) More than 120 schools singing the same compulsory song over and over, complete with kitsch lyrics and cheesy piano accompaniment (this year's title? White Horses) until you can barely take any more. One wonders how on earth the judges can sit through eight whole days of this; 3) 14 and 15-year-old pubescent boy sopranos in all-male choirs shrieking high Fs and Gs at the top of their (cracking) voices. Sometimes funny - but mostly painful. Not that there aren't good things to be said. Some school choirs are of a very high standard - many have won numerous awards at international competitions, and it shows. It's also refreshing to see youth being truly passionate about Japanese folk music and avant-garde choral compositions for once, instead of the usual Coldplay, Jason Mraz and Wonder Girls. Certainly, that passion students have for performing becomes all too obvious when it's time to announce the results. The screaming that reverberated around the Victoria Concert Hall with each gold or silver award read out was simply unbelievable. Naturally, the management was scandalised - but all in the name of good, healthy competition, I suppose. And speaking of performance onstage, I think it has to be quite an experience to conduct a musical group in front of hundreds of people - especially when your ensemble, well, sucks. I mean, it can't be easy. One has to be as professional as possible - bowing to the audience before and after your items, leading your charges in the performance without any indication to them that they're bad (while putting your audience through a rather painful experience, I might add) and then smiling to all the world as if nothing were the matter. All while you're burning up with embarrassment inside, whilst at the same time trying to give some indication to the audience to say, "Yes, I know we suck; I'm so sorry for this!" - like a non-verbal "sic" so they know you're not totally oblivious. Last Thursday, I had the privilege of sitting through one such "exemplary display" by the conductor of a certain secondary school choir which shall remain unnamed - suffice to say that they were not very good. And what a performance - he was totally business-like on stage, but managed to show the slightest hint of a sheepish smile as he bowed and walked off of it. That choir might have gotten only a certificate of participation, but their conductor? Without a doubt, a solid gold. You can catch the SYF 2009 Central Judging of Secondary Choirs from April 22 until April 24 for secondary schools and on May 5, for junior colleges, at the Victoria Concert Hall. Limited free tickets will be available at the door every day. Tags: choir, review, singapore, youth 
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To: Mr Goh Yi Han
I read with interest your comments in relation to the level of performance of certain school choirs, especially where you have stated that certain ensembles "suck", or are "not very good".
As a musician myself, I can well understand that there are different levels of performances. Some are good, some are not so good. But what I was taught as a young budding performer was this: If you have the guts to go up and sing, and to perform, it shows a certain amount of fortitude, especially where competition is involved. It cannot be easy, for students, with perhaps little or no music experience to stand there on stage, to have to learn pieces, and to actually perform these pieces to be judged.
Fine, they may not be at a competency level so as to be world-class, or even to earn a gold certificate. But they have tried. And for that they should be applauded.
I further note that you have very carefully left out all forms of identification of any particular school. Nevertheless, students who read this column would naturally be able to identify the schools that you were talking about. And pray tell, how would this affect these students, when they are labelled as "14 and 15 year old boys shrieking" or named as wearing humorous fashion choices?
If this was meant to be encouraging, I simply fail to see how it could be so. When I had read the article, I was cringing inside, as I knew how it would affect those who have read it, those teachers who have read it, the students who invariably will be drawn towards the comments.
In my mind, we should be applauding these students, who, despite the odds are not afraid to stand up, sing, and do their best. They should not be given such cruel labels, as has been clearly outlined above. Kudos to all of them who have made the effort, and it is my hope that they will improve, and that one day they will silence those who make fun of them.
Craig Lowell